Liverpool Echo says club will buy a Coutinho replacement

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According to Liverpool Echo journalist Ian Doyle, there is no doubt that we’ll eventually recruit a playmaker, or a creative central midfielder.

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The reporter was doing a Q&A yesterday for his newspaper and was posed question about who this player might be.

“Who knows? It might even still be Fekir, although I’d be a little bit surprised if that’s the case come January,” he began.

“What happened with his deal in the summer is a shame – we all know how close he was to joining Liverpool – and he’d have made a positive difference to the Reds, whether that was easing the load across the front three or, as would be more likely, an attacking midfield role.

“Will Klopp seek a replacement? The long-term answer has to be yes. Klopp identified a shortcoming in his squad and the right player. He went back for Van Dijk and kept his nerve over Alisson.

“It’s not likely he’ll go back for Fekir, but he will certainly be keen on a player of the same ilk. It maybe would have been Oxlade-Chamberlain, but strength in depth is required regardless.”

Doyle’s comments make sense. Jurgen Klopp’s history definitely suggests that once he decides he wants to strengthen an area, he invariably gets it done – although is happy to wait a window or two.

He selected Naby Keita in 2017, only for the Guinean to arrive a year later. We desperately needed a central defender that summer as well, but Klopp waited until January of this year to get his first choice.

If Alisson hadn’t been available, you have to assume Loris Karius or Danny Ward would currently be keeping our net.

Fekir would be a brilliant addition, but we just don’t think that deal will revive itself. After all, if we pulled out of a deal due to his underlying knee condition, what will have changed?

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